


Help! My Stomach Feels Weird!

by secrettemplars (tricycleamoving)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Charity Auctions, Domestic, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, POV Third Person, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 15:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2856590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tricycleamoving/pseuds/secrettemplars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or, how Akashi Seijuurou walked in to Seirin’s cultural festival and walked out with a date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Help! My Stomach Feels Weird!

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Kiki/[begleiters](http://begleiters.tumblr.com/) for the 2014 Akafuri Secret Santa Exchange! Prompt given was "Akashi attends Seirin's charity date auction". 
> 
> This fic is literally 7k words of fluff, you have been warned. I think I had to take breaks to roll around on my bed while writing this. Also really long notes on certain things at the end of this fic.
> 
> Happy holidays!

**ONE MONTH BEFORE THE AUCTION:**

"Thank you all so much for volunteering for this, you won’t regret it!" Exclaimed the student council president, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She held a stack of documents and forms in her arms, passing them around to everyone else in the room as she continued to speak. Furihata would’ve smiled at her enthusiasm, if it weren’t for the fact that he had a bad feeling right in his gut. This would either end up really good or spectacularly bad. **_  
_**

"I know that usually Seirin isn’t one to hold something like a dating auction, but after many meetings with the headmaster, we were finally able to get things going, and now here we are," the president smiled and gestured to the white board behind her, sighing happily, "The first ever Seirin Charity Dating Auction is definitely going to be a hit, and I just  _know_  that you all will definitely help make it a success.” She cleared her throat, and started going through the words written on the board.

"Now, a few expectations…"

—

"So, all that’s left for you amazing volunteers to do is to write a short 30 second speech that you’ll be giving to our audiences on the day of the auction! Since we still have around 15 minutes left of this meeting, why don’t we get started?" The president clapped her hands in joy and sat back down, talking to her fellow council members while Furihata and the rest of the volunteers started to write.

Furihata neatly wrote his name at the top of the sheet of paper, and then put his pencil down again. What could he possibly say about himself in 30 seconds? Hm, well, mentioning that he was the captain of the basketball team would probably be something he should do, but what if the speaker already mentioned that? That would be embarrassing.

~~_Hi, I’m Furihata Kouki, a second year and the captain of the Seirin basketball team! I like_ ~~

Oh come on, he could do better than that.

"How’s the writing going, Furihata-san?" A voice suddenly asked. He startled, almost falling out of his chair and clutched his pen to his heart. The student council secretary stood next to him, his ever present clipboard pressed to his chest.

"Haha, it’s going okay, Kobayashi-san… I don’t know if it’s exciting enough, though. I can’t think of anything interesting," Furihata said, grimacing apologetically.

"It’s okay, I’m sure you’ll come up with something great. We’re grateful enough that you agreed to do this in the first place, Furihata-san." Kobayashi smiled, before tapping his pen against his clipboard, "Perhaps you should think about what someone would want to know about you as a boyfriend? You’re supposed to go on a date, not tell them your entire life story."

Furihata nodded, and went back to staring at his sheet of paper as Kobayashi checked on the volunteer sitting next to him. A boyfriend? Well, he could cook a decent meal, and he liked watching romantic movies…

He sighed and thumped his head against the desk. This was going to be a long 15 minutes.

—-

**THE DAY OF THE AUCTION:**

_PRE-AUCTION_

"Alright, so we’ll have the auctionees sit in a line here…"

The boy standing on Furihata’s left nudged him with an elbow, leaning over to look at the sheet of paper in his hands.

"Psst, do you have your speech ready?" He whispered, fiddling with his own cue card, "I’m not sure if mine’s good enough…"

"Same here," Furihata whispered back, "I’ve almost gotten mine memorised but my palms are already sweating. I just want this to be over already." The boy nodded, nervously taking a moment to look over where the student council president was still talking before gulping.

"Honestly, I don’t know-"

"Oh c’mon, just  _relax_ , boys,” A voice from his right interrupted, nearly causing Furihata and the boy next to him to fall over each other, “It’s just one date, right? You’re not getting  _married_  or anything.”

Furihata and the boy shared a glance, before hesitantly shrugging at the girl next to them.

"Uhm, it’s Furihata-kun, captain of the basketball team, and Masuda-kun, captain of the baseball team, right?" She said, pointing to him and the boy (Masuda) respectively before nodding to herself, " _I’m Kagawa Kanon, third year captain of the amazing girls’ volleyball team, and **damn right**  I’m gonna catch myself the best date today!_

"That’s the sort of spirit you should be having. We’re captains, after all! We need to set a good example for our teammates and show everyone that we captains are  _super cool_.” She said, puffing up with pride.

"Alright then…" Furihata said, giving Masuda an encouraging smile and surreptitiously wiping the sweat off his palms onto his pants before extending a hand out, "Let’s show Seirin the best charity dating auction it’s ever seen!"

Two hands land on top of his, accompanied by smiling faces.

—

"… Actually, this is the only charity dating auction Seirin has ever seen."

"Stop ruining the mood, Masuda-kun."

—

_THE AUCTION_

The crowd burst into polite applause as the student council president stepped onto the stage, microphone in hand.

"Thank you all for attending Seirin’s first charity dating auction," She said, beaming at the crowd, "We have a lovely line up of club captains for anyone looking for love today, so don’t be afraid to speak up and bid big!

"All proceeds from the auction will go to the Ashinaga foundation, so please bid high for this amazing charity, and feel free to put money in the donation box even if you don’t intend to bid! Now without further ado, we present our first date…"

As the first club captain (the women’s rugby club captain, if he remembered correctly) stood up from her seat and approached the podium to give her speech, Furihata shifted in his seat, willing himself not to look away from the audience. He could spot Kagami and the rest of Seirin from afar, and tried his best to give them a comforting smile. The team had been working hard the past year after the winter cup, and this was one of the few chances they had to make sure the team was seen by the rest of the school. Furihata  _had_  to do his best, he knew that.

Now, if only his hands would stop shaking…

It was only when Masuda was called up to the podium did Furihata notice the presence of the generation of miracles. He could spot Aomine, Momoi and Kise sitting in the middle, Murasakibara chewing on sweets near the exit, and Akashi and Midorima sitting a few rows behind the first. In that moment, Furihata felt such intense relief that he had been the one chosen to be captain. He couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen if one of the generation of miracles bidded for Kuroko or Kagami (and knowing the sheer amount of money some of them had, they would definitely have won). It was one of the few times Furihata really was glad that he was the one being auctioned off instead.

Furihata could barely process Masuda sitting back down next to him and letting out a sigh of relief before he heard the student council president announce his name to the audience. With trembling hands, he slowly got up from his chair and walked to the podium, standing before the microphone with a forced smile on his face. He let himself take a deep breath before opening his mouth to speak.

"Hi, my name is Furihata Kouki, and I’m the second year captain of the basketball club," He took a moment to laugh as Kagami whooped loudly from the back of the audience, "As you can see, we’re a real friendly bunch. Anyway, I might not be the tallest person in the crowd today, or the strongest, but I’ll do my best to make you smile and make sure we have the best date ever!

"Also, I make a mean creme brulee," He said, feeling a smile build on his face despite the metaphorical butterflies in his stomach, "Please remember to bid generously! The Ashinaga foundation counts on you."

He bowed, smiling at the audience (and definitely  _not_  looking anywhere near the generation of miracles or his team, in order to prevent any further embarrassment), waiting for the applause to finish as the student council president started the bidding process. One bid, 1500 yen. Another bid, 2000 yen. 2200 yen from the Seirin team (he somehow got the feeling Kuroko was behind this). 3000 yen from one of the first years in the middle. 5000 yen from one of the third years at the back.

"Going at 5000 yen so far. 5000 yen. Any other bids?" Said the student council president.

5000 yen. Was that how much a date with him was worth?

"5000 yen for a date with Furihata Kouki-kun, going once. Going twice. So-"

"20,000 yen."

Furihata stared at the raised hand a few rows in front of him, speechless. The audience was equally as silent. It took the student council president a few moments to collect herself, before she cleared her throat and resumed the auction.

"20,000 y-yen for a date with Furihata Kouki-kun, going once. Going twice…"

Akashi Seijuurou lowers his hand and stares back at him.

"Sold! 20,000 yen for Furihata-kun to the red-haired gentleman in the front. Please come up the stage after the auction is over to meet with your date. Furihata-kun, if you could please take a seat." The student council president smiles, seemingly having recovered from the shock of the high bid.

"Next up, we have Kagawa Kanon-san! Please give her a warm welcome."

Furihata had to force his legs to walk back to his seat, giving his best effort of a smile to Kagawa as she discretely gave him a thumbs up while walking past him. Masuda quietly whistled under his breath when Furihata sat back down, but all that’s running through his mind are those two red eyes staring right at him.

He doesn’t understand. He’s just Furihata Kouki. He’s no Kuroko or Kagami- why would someone as impressive and terrifying as Akashi Seijuurou bid on him? Hell, the last time they met, he fell flat onto his face on the court. That’s not the sort of impression that leads to a date. Out of everyone else, why would Akashi Seijuurou choose someone like him?

Despite the steadily sinking feeling in his stomach, he wills himself to look back up again. Red eyes find his (or rather, he finds those striking red eyes- Furihata has a feeling Akashi never really looked away), and something in his gut tells him that Akashi himself doesn’t really know either.

20,000 yen spent on a date with him… Either Akashi really wanted him, or really wanted to donate to charity.

Furihata desperately hoped it was the latter.

—

_POST-AUCTION_

"Thank you for your hard work today!" The student council president bowed, a gleam in her eye, "Remember to tell your lucky dates the rules, though. Wouldn’t want any of these bids to be forfeit!"

Furihata could only chuckle nervously as the student council president walked away, leaving him to stand on stage, waiting for Akashi to come meet him. Masuda’s date was already on stage, her elbows linked through his, while Kagawa was already rushing to the dainty girl that had won her bid. As happy as Furihata was for them, he couldn’t stop the unknown feeling building in his gut the longer he was left waiting. He knew it wasn’t just purely negative- it was two parts fear, one part… something else.

Hope? Curiosity? Impulsivity?

Whatever it was, it left him unsettled.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt a prickling sensation on his body, as if someone was watching him. Honestly, if Furihata had to describe the scariest moment of his life, him turning at that very moment only to come face to face with Akashi Seijuurou inspecting him like he would an insect would be his top choice.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Furihata willed himself not to look away (though if he did, he would probably be faced with the gaping stares from the Seirin team and the generation of miracles).

"So, Furihata-kun," Akashi said, Furihata hanging on his every word, "Shall we?"

An outstretched hand was offered to him. Furihata stared very intensely at that too. He wasn’t sure if taking Akashi’s hand was really in any way safe, but he was pretty darn sure that if he didn’t take it Akashi would literally strike him down with thunder. After quickly glancing out towards the audience (where the generation of miracles were  _still_  gaping), he wiped his palms against his pants before gingerly putting a hand atop Akashi’s.

A brief smile flickered across Akashi’s face, and the unknown feeling in Furihata’s gut intensified.

Akashi led Furihata off the stage and towards… somewhere, but not a word was exchanged between them at all. Furihata’s hand was still in Akashi’s, and he could feel his palm starting to sweat again. He didn’t dare tug his hand away though, for fear of certain death, and ignored the small part within himself that realized he liked the warmth. It was only when he started seeing the gates of the school that he gained the courage (or feared for his life enough: where was Akashi taking him? Did he want the date  _now_?  ~~Was he going to take responsibility?~~ ) to speak up.

"Um… Akashi-san…" Furihata started, eyes looking straight down at his feet, still taking one step after another towards the gate, "… Where are we going?"

"Don’t worry, Furihata-kun, we’re only going to take a short walk and talk," Akashi replied, turning to look at Furihata before a small smirk bloomed on his face, "Why, where did you think I was taking you?"

Furihata stared, his cheeks starting to heat up. No way was he ever going to tell Akashi what he thought- not even on his life. Instead, he tried to think of other more trivial topics to talk about in an attempt to divert the conversation.

"So what is Akashi-san doing at Seirin’s first ever dating auction?" He blurted out, eyes wide. Akashi merely tilted his head, looking at Furihata for a silent moment as though he knew what he was up to (who was he kidding, Akashi definitely knew he was avoiding his question), before quietly huffing, his lips quirking. Furihata forced himself to look away at a nearby tree.

"Kuroko invited us to the festival, I merely followed him out to the auction when I heard that Seirin’s captain would be taking part." Akashi shot another flicker of a smile his way, a glint in his eye. Furihata had no idea what that glint was even supposed to  _mean_.

Was it some sort of weird captain to captain inside joke? Or some strange kind of jab? He should probably stop overthinking it and just appreciate the fact that he’s still alive.

Furihata cleared his throat and tried to forget about the fact that their hands were still linked.

"So we should, uh, go over the rules of the d-date?" He said, nervously looking over at Akashi. It was better to just… get it over with, right? Then he could set a date and time and just run back to the festival and hide somewhere for the rest of the day. His heart pounded faster and the funny feeling in his stomach made its presence known again (he refused to refer to them as butterflies) as he waited for Akashi’s answer.

"From what your student council president said, I’m assuming that the date has to be soon, am I right?" Akashi said, his fingers twitching slightly against Furihata’s.

"Yes, it has to happen anytime before the end of next week," Furihata confirmed, nodding, "There’s also a few other rules, though. One: we must actually go on a date, we can’t just donate the money and not arrange anything after."

"That sounds easy enough." Akashi said, a small smile forming on his lips as he gently squeezes their intertwined hands.

Furihata had no choice but to look away in order to hide the embarrassing smile on his face.

"A-and two: we have to take photos. As proof that went on the date." He continued, once he managed to compose himself, before tilting his head slightly, "I don’t think the president ever said how many we had to take, though. I guess it has to be more than one?"

"That’s fine with me. Anything else?" Asked Akashi.

"That’s all the important parts covered. It’s just the date left, hah…" Furihata replied, fiddling with the hem of his shirt with his free hand. "What kind of date would you want, Akashi-san?"

"Wouldn’t a movie and dinner at a high class restaurant constitute a good date?" Akashi said, "Alternatively we could go attend any nearby festivals, or perhaps you’d prefer something at a resort? A concert might make a good venue too-"

"Uh-"

"-And it would end with a goodnight kiss, of course." Akashi said.

Furihata tried to calculate the total cost of doing any of Akashi’s ‘dating events’ and failed miserably to remember the number of zeros involved. It was only when he registered the last part of Akashi’s words did he realise-

"Akashi-san, uh, you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to but… have you ever been on a date before?" Furihata asked tentatively.

"Well, my academic and extra-curricular performances didn’t allow me much time to socialise outside of school, much less pursue romance of any kind," Akashi said, pursing his lips, "I’ve had dinner with other people before, but Father was also present, so I hardly think it counts as a date.

"Is me not having any dating experience a problem, Furihata-kun?" Akashi asked, his eyes narrowing, "I can assure you-"

"Oh no, no, it’s not a problem!" Furihata squeaked out, "I mean, it just sounded like you haven’t from the way you talk about it… If it makes you feel better, I haven’t been on a proper date either, hah.

"I guess we’re each other’s first dates, then." Furihata said, heat rising in his cheeks again.

"And a first date has to be special," Akashi said, the small, gentle smile back on his face, "Since it’s your first date too, what do you think we should do?"

"Uh, I guess for me a date can be anything?" Furihata replied, "I mean, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in a fancy restaurant or at a flea market, as long as people want to do things together and be with each other, it counts as a date. Even something as simple as playing video games at home together might count as a date."

"That’s… an interesting way to look at it, Furihata-kun." Akashi said, staring curiously at him. It wasn’t the same stare as before when he was on stage, where it felt like he was being dissected or something equally as calculative and horrifying. It was… gentler, almost. It made him feel sorta fuzzy inside, which was weird (but a good kind of weird, he would admit).

Silence fell over them as they continued walking, the conversation seemingly over. Akashi’s earlier words kept repeating in his mind, the way all his ideal venues were expensive and exclusive (a  _resort_? For an auctioned date?). Sure, part of it probably came from Akashi’s rich background, but he knew that couldn’t just be it. There was just something…  _missing_.

"Ah! Akashi-san, this might be a bit weird but…" Furihata blurted out, "Would it be okay if we had our date at my place? I mean, I can cook lunch or dinner, and we could figure out what to do from there…"

"Wouldn’t we need a more detailed plan?" Akashi asked instead. Furihata inwardly breathed a sigh of relief: at least his idea wasn’t completely rejected.

"Akashi-san said that the first date should be special, right? I mean, I don’t want to assume too much but from the way Akashi-san talks about dates, it always sounds like you’re outside at some expensive place all the time," Furihata said, "Compared to that you wouldn’t spend a lot of time enjoying yourself at home… so I think being in a home setting would make your first date a lot more special, wouldn’t it?"

Akashi stopped walking, looking at Furihata in that weird (fuzzy) way again.

"I… Yes, that makes sense." Akashi said.

"So when should we have the d-" Furihata started to say, before a sleek black car drove up to them on the road and stopped. A man dressed in a black suit stepped out from the driver’s seat, closing the door behind him and bowing to them.

"Young master, pardon my intrusion," the man said, "I saw you stopped near your designated waiting spot. Would you be ready to leave yet?"

Though Akashi showed no outward reaction on his face, Furihata could feel the slight stiffening of Akashi’s hand against his. He squeezed their intertwined hands lightly, and waited.

"Furihata-kun… You don’t have any other duties at the festival today, yes?" Asked Akashi, "Would you mind having our date now?"

"Eh?" Furihata exclaimed, his eyes widening, "Well, I, uh… That’s okay with me."

Honestly, if it were under any other circumstance, he would’ve refused, but he thought back to (what he knew of) Akashi’s family situation, and how he seemed uncomfortable at the idea of returning. If he were in that sort of situation… he would’ve wanted someone to keep him away from home just a little longer. As long as it meant that Akashi felt a bit better, he could deal with a little embarrassment and nervousness.

"Shall we?" Akashi asked, before nodding at the driver. The driver opened the door to the backseat for them, and Furihata scurried in with Akashi. It only took a few seconds for Furihata to recite his address, and then they were off. There was a niggling thought at the back of his mind, but he ignored it. A date with an attractive, nice and vaguely terrifying basketball captain held a high priority.

Back in Seirin, Furihata’s backpack laid miserably on a desk. Kuroko walked into the classroom and sighed to himself, before taking the backpack with him.

—-

**THE DATE(?):**

The lock clicked and Furihata pushed open the door to his house, closing it behind him once both he and Akashi had stepped inside and taken their shoes off.

"I’m home!" He called out, desperately hoping not to hear a reply.

"Welcome back!" A voice replied, and, much to his chagrin, his mom walked out to the front door from her room to greet them. "Oh, and you even brought home a friend, Kouki!"

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Furihata," Akashi said before bowing, "My name is Akashi Seijuurou, it’s nice to meet you."

"It’s nice to meet you too, Akashi-kun!" His mom said, beaming at them, "Feel free to make yourself at home. Kouki, your brother’s over at a friend’s house today, so the game console’s free for you two to use if you want."

"Ah, uh, actually," Furihata said, scratching at the back of his head, "Remember when I said I would be in the dating auction today?"

"Yes?" His mom replied.

"Uh, so, Akashi-san… was the one who… won… me… so…" He muttered, looking down at the floor. 

His mom stared blankly at him, before comprehension flooded her face.

"Oh, I see," She said, smiling at him in a secretive manner that suddenly made him very worried for his life, "Well, I  _did_  intend to go out shopping with your dad at some point, and we’ve always wanted to try dinner at Zauo… So I guess you boys will be alone tonight.”

Furihata’s cheeks heated up, embarrassed at how obvious his mom was being about their date plans. He could only hope that Akashi wasn’t secretly laughing at him in his mind.

"Now, Akashi-kun, would you like a drink?" His mom asked.

"Water will be fine, Mrs. Furihata." Akashi replied.

—

_TEN MINUTES LATER_

"Well, your dad’s just arrived downstairs to pick me up, so I’ll be off boys!" Exclaimed his mom, grabbing her purse and coat, "You two take care now.

"Kouki, I expect you to take care of Akashi-kun, alright?" She continued, before kissing him on the forehead and walking to the door to slip into her shoes.

"Yes mom," he sighed, "I will."

"Have a good night, Mrs. Furihata." Said Akashi.

The door closed behind her and the two boys were left alone.

"Your mother is very… personable," Said Akashi, a small smile on his face, "It was nice meeting her."

"She’s very affectionate, haha," He replied, his cheeks heating up again, "It was sorta embarrassing though, being in such a situation. Anyway, I’m glad you like her!"

Furihata laughed awkwardly, trying to hide his pounding heart. Akashi merely smiled wider.

"So.." They both began to speak, before abruptly stopping.

"Ah, you first, Akashi-san." He said, smiling sheepishly.

"I was just going to ask what you intended to do now, Furihata-kun," Akashi said, brows furrowing as he takes another sip of water, "I feel slightly uncomfortable not knowing the plan for tonight."

"Hm, I was thinking that I could cook us some dinner," Furihata said, glancing in the direction of the kitchen, "Depending on what I cook you can help me prepare it too- if you want to, of course! Then after, we could play video games or watch a movie."

"That sounds… surprisingly lovely," Akashi said, before smiling and holding his hand out again, "Shall we?"

Furihata quickly slipped his hand into Akashi’s, telling himself that it was only because he didn’t want to offend the other boy that he did it (secretly, though, he just really wanted to feel that warmth again). Akashi raised an eyebrow at Furihata’s quick action, but continued to hold on to his hand regardless.

Suddenly, an errant thought flashed into Furihata’s mind.

"Ah, I totally almost forgot!" Exclaimed Furihata, digging his phone out from his pocket with his free hand, "We need to take pictures of the date."

He opened the camera app and held the phone in prime selfie position, shuffling closer to Akashi.

"Smile!" He said, before taking the photo.

_[SNAP]_

Going to his gallery, he selected the photo and moved the screen so the both of them could see it. Honestly, for such a sudden photo, it really wasn’t bad. Akashi was the epitome of perfection, as he expected, and he himself didn’t look as awkward as he thought he felt. In fact, if he didn’t know any better, he might have thought they were actually dating. Y’know,  _dating_  dating.

"That looks good." Akashi said.

"Yep, it’s definitely profile picture worthy," Furihata replied, before pocketing his phone and tugging Akashi towards the direction of the kitchen, "So… Anything you really want to eat for dinner?"

"… Actually, tofu soup would be nice." Akashi said, walking alongside him as they entered the kitchen.

"Cool, mom went grocery shopping yesterday so we should have enough to make some omurice and tofu soup. Hayashi rice sounds good too- or maybe katsudon?" Pondered Furihata, absentmindedly looking through the cupboards with his free hand.

"I wouldn’t mind having Hayashi rice for dinner, if it’s fine with you." Said Akashi, smiling softly at him. Furihata could feel the fluttering in his belly (that he wished he could blame on hunger) again, and tried to clamp it down. He nodded enthusiastically at Akashi, and finally let go of his hand to get an apron.

He slipped on the apron and tied the strings together, before turning to Akashi again and entwining their hands back together.

"Um… I don’t know if you like to cook or anything, but you’re welcome to help me! If not you can hang around and watch or look around the place?" Asked Furihata, unsure of what Akashi would choose. Part of him really wanted Akashi around, but the other part of him felt slightly intimidated at his constant presence. The fluttering in his stomach was already tough to handle… he couldn’t imagine having to cook (near fire and other hazardous things!) while those eyes were on him.

"I’m curious as to what the rest of your home looks like, so I’ll look around for a bit before coming back here. Would that be alright?" Akashi asked.

"That’s fine!" Furihata said, bringing up the courage to squeeze their intertwined hands before letting go again, "I’ll tell you when the food’s ready."

Akashi smiled at him once more, before turning to walk out the kitchen. Furihata watched him go, hoping that Akashi didn’t find anything in his house to be disappointing. His house was probably very different from what Akashi was used to…

 _It doesn’t matter_ , Furihata told himself, opening the fridge to take out the ingredients,  _I think Akashi could do with some difference._

—

With the rice cooked, and the stew and soup left to simmer, Furihata washed his hands and dried them with a rag. He made sure to set his timer on his phone before walking out of the kitchen, intent on finding Akashi. For a moment, he did consider calling out that dinner was almost ready like his mom usually did with him, but then quickly realized that yelling at Akashi probably wasn’t a good idea for a first date (or for his health).

As he walked down the hallway, he took a moment to answer any texts on his phone. An embarrassed flush bloomed on his face when he read Kuroko’s text about having brought his bag home with him, and hurriedly typed out a grateful reply. It felt so… weird. To think that the only thing he knew about Akashi yesterday was that he was a terrifying basketball captain, and that today he would be skipping the rest of the festival and cooking dinner for him and holding his hand.

Furihata didn’t think of himself as a very spontaneous person (and Akashi didn’t exactly come off as one either), so for Akashi to bid on him, for the both of them to suddenly leave the festival halfway…

It was… nice. Refreshing, even.

Furihata wouldn’t mind doing it again.

Only after he had scrolled past a few concerned texts from the Seirin team (he made a mental note to assure them that he was fine later) did he hear the music. He slowed his footsteps, trying to keep himself as silent as possible as he crept up the staircase. Furihata knew exactly where Akashi was.

It was a well kept secret that the Furihata household was a musical one: Dad worked at the bank, mom worked from home, his brother studied engineering in University and he was the captain of the basketball team. Few people really knew that all of them could play instruments or sing on the side as well. Everyone just… assumed that music wasn’t their forte. 

And, as Furihata snuck closer to the piano room and peeked in through the open door, it seemed that Akashi would become one of the few people who knew.

Kuroko had mentioned that Akashi was taught musical instruments from young, but he never really thought about it until now (I mean, it’s not like he had a reason to).  _Is there anything he isn’t good at?_  He thought, standing right next to the door, _Classical music isn’t usually my favourite, but I could listen to him play forever._

[Akashi looked so picturesque, sitting there gracefully playing the piano, so engrossed in the music.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2YMSt3yfko) Furihata couldn’t help himself, and opened the camera app on his phone, leaning over to take a photo. He told himself it was only to satisfy the auction requirements and ignored the fluttering in his stomach.

_[SNAP]_

Oh no.

Furihata could feel the heat radiating off his face as the music paused, and those red eyes turned to look straight at him.

"A-ah, sorry! You just… looked really into the piece and-and we needed more pictures for the auction rules. I didn’t mean to distract you!" Furihata said, wishing he could hide behind his phone and disappear. He stepped into the room, palms starting to sweat as those eyes continued to bore into him.

"It’s alright," Akashi said, "I’m glad you enjoyed my playing."

"It was my pleasure!" Furihata exclaimed, walking closer to where Akashi sat, "I remember Kuroko mentioned you played the piano once. He didn’t say how good you were, though."

"Thank you," Said Akashi, chuckling, "I assume you know how to play as well?"

"Ah, not the piano," Furihata replied, smiling sheepishly at the other boy, "I never really got the hang of it, it was more of my brother’s thing. I’m more of a strings person- I like playing my guitar and singing along to things."

"Then, would you mind playing a duet with me on your guitar?" Asked Akashi.

"W-what?" Furihata spit out, his heart starting to pump into overdrive, "I would love to but I’m usually not the sort to play out of the blue or improvise, and I don’t want to be an e-embarrassment…"

His palms were getting sweaty again, but it didn’t stop Akashi from linking their hands together.

"It’s okay, normally I don’t like to improvise either," Akashi said, "But we can start small. I’m sure there should be something simple we both know how to play that we can do together."

"Okay, I think I can do that," Furihata said, giving Akashi a relieved smile, "Um, I don’t do classical music as much, but the simplest I know is Canon in D?"

"Sounds good to me," Akashi said, smiling back at him.

"I left my guitar in my room," Furihata said, letting go of Akashi’s hand, "I’ll go get it."

Akashi hummed his approval as Furihata scurried out towards his room, his heart beating in his ears. Having to basically perform in front of Akashi during their first date… it was nerve-wracking. He desperately hoped that he wouldn’t somehow screw it up. Honestly, if he were in the right mind at the time, he would have declined Akashi’s offer, but then those eyes- and that smile… The fluttering came back tenfold and his whole body felt warm.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached his room and grabbed his guitar, taking a moment to tune it in order to distract himself. Once the guitar sounded in tune, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, hoping to calm himself down. He still had food cooking in the kitchen- if worst came to worst and he made an absolute fool of himself, he could just say that he needed to get the food ready.

It took another deep inhale and slow exhale before he felt a bit more composed, and he stepped out the room with his guitar in tow. As he made his way back to the piano room, he pulled out his phone and checked his timer: 10 more minutes.

"I’m back," Furihata said as he stepped into the room, "And I tuned my guitar too. Sorry for the wait."

"It’s alright." Akashi said, looking at Furihata as he pulled a chair near the piano. Furihata sat down in the chair with his guitar, and looked backed at Akashi.

"Um, I’m not really sure how to do this…" Furihata said, cheeks faintly red with embarrassment, "Do you want me to just start playing, or should I follow your lead?"

"Just play what you’re familiar with, Furihata-kun," Akashi said, "I’ll join in when I’m ready. Just remember to look at me and we should be fine."

"O-okay," Furihata said, before wiping his palms on his jeans and putting them on his guitar, "Here we go."

Inhale. Exhale.

[Furihata glanced at Akashi and began to play.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVfMb44JkAA)

—

He didn’t look away from Akashi.

Not even once.

—

"Thank you," Akashi said a few moments after they finished, his hands resting on his lap, "That was delightful."

"I should be thanking  _you_ , Akashi-san,” Furihata replied, “That was really fun. We should do it again sometime.”

"I… yes, we should." Akashi said.

Furihata stood up and propped his guitar on the chair, before walking to where Akashi was and sitting down next to him on the bench. Looking down at his lap, Furihata slowly intertwined their hands again, trying to hide the flush on his cheeks when he felt that familiar squeeze.

They sat together in silence for a few moments.

"The food should be done in a few minutes," Furihata said, "Until then… anything else you wanna do?"

"I think… Can we just sit here for a little while longer?" Akashi answered.

Furihata shifted closer to Akashi until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder, hands still intertwined.

"Okay." Furihata said, shyly giving Akashi a sideway glance to make sure that he hadn’t overstepped a boundary or anything of that sort. Akashi said nothing, but the small smile on his face said volumes in the silence. Furihata, secretly pleased at their closeness (not that he would admit that), decided to test the boundaries a bit more and slowly moved his head closer until he was leaning on Akashi’s shoulder.

Akashi said nothing again, but instead shifted slightly so Furihata would be more comfortable in his current position. They sat there in a comfortable silence, neither saying a word (Furihata was  _sure_ Akashi could feel his heart pounding at a mile a minute), until Furihata felt the buzzing of his phone in his pocket.

Reluctantly, Furihata pulled away from Akashi and went to turn off the timer on his phone.

"Well, food’s ready," Furihata said, making no move to leave his seat, "We should go down and eat soon."

Akashi let go of Furihata’s hand, before reaching over to Furihata’s head and gently pushing him back down on his shoulder again. Furihata felt his cheeks heat up (at this rate, his cheeks would be permanently red by the end of the day).

"One more minute," Akashi said, resting his hand on Furihata’s waist, "Then we’ll go down for dinner."

Furihata was perfectly happy to oblige.

—

"Tadah! Hayashi rice and tofu miso soup is served," Furihata said, putting the dishes down on the dining table, "I’m going to lay out the cutlery and then we can eat!"

He scurried back to the kitchen to grab two pairs of chopsticks, before walking back to the dining table and passing Akashi his cutlery. Sitting across Akashi at the table, he put his chopsticks down and looked at Akashi looking at the food.

"Thank you for the meal." They both said. Furihata eagerly watched as Akashi took a sip from his tofu soup, almost bouncing in his seat.

"… It’s delicious," Akashi said, looking at him with that strange expression in his eyes again, "Thank you for cooking this."

"No problem," Furihata said, before taking a bite out of his rice, "It’s definitely not as high quality as the food you’re used to, haha, but there’s always something about home cooked food that’s really appealing."

"I don’t think I understand, but the food is excellent," Akashi replied, "Do you cook often?"

"Hmm, not really," Furihata said, pausing a moment to chew and swallow his food, "Mom and dad are the ones who cook most of the time, but sometimes they like to go out on dates together, and my brother’s horrible in the kitchen, so it ends up falling on me to cook dinner.

"I don’t really mind, though. I think it’s pretty cool that after all these years, my parents still want to go on dates with each other. Although it  _is_  kinda embarrassing to see them all cutesy with each other in public…”

"That’s interesting," Akashi said, "Your parents sound like good people."

"Wouldn’t trade them for all the riches in the world," Furihata said, before taking a sip from his soup, "What about you, Akashi-san? Do you know how to cook?"

"I’ve never had the need to cook for myself," Akashi said, "But I did help some of the kitchen staff prepare meals when I was younger, so I’m not completely useless or anything."

Of course, Furihata knew that he and Akashi grew up in two very different environments with very different upbringings, but when he heard Akashi’s words he still felt something jolt in his chest, nonetheless. He didn’t know Akashi very well, nor for very long, but he could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn’t exactly feeling like the king of the world right now. It made Furihata’s chest constrict, that look in his eyes, and he would do anything to make it go away.

"Well, It’s always good to know how to cook a few dishes just in case you find yourself in an emergency," Furihata said, "I don’t mind teaching you how to cook next time.

"Uh, that is… if you  _want_  a next time.”

Furihata shovelled some meat and rice into his mouth, chewing and swallowing his food awkwardly as he awaited Akashi’s response.

"I wouldn’t mind having more than one ‘next time’, Furihata-kun." Akashi said, before eating his meat and rice in a much more elegant manner than Furihata (how Akashi could keep his composure saying such things, he would never know).

"I- Really?" Furihata exclaimed, before internally slapping himself and telling himself to calm down, "I mean- That’s cool. I could teach you how to make tofu soup, or a katsudon.

"Hm, what other easy staples are there… Ramen too, or maybe onigiri?"

Akashi wrinkled his nose at that.

Furihata barely managed to stifle his giggle at the image.

"Do you not like onigiri, Akashi-san?" Furihata asked, before trying to hide his smile behind a hand.

"I find seaweed to be… very unpleasant." Akashi said, the slight expression of distaste still lingering on his face.

"And is there anything else you find "unpleasant", Akashi-san?" Furihata asked, looking at Akashi with amusement while leaning on his hand.

"Pickled ginger is also equally as unpleasant," Akashi said, before looking straight at him, "Surely you’re not teasing me, Furihata-kun?"

"Now why would I do that." Furihata said, grinning cheekily at the boy opposite him.

"Oh, it appears that Seirin’s captain has a hidden sharp tongue." Akashi said, raising an eyebrow.

"And it appears that Rakuzan’s captain can be thwarted with algae and a garnish," Furihata rebutted, the cheeky grin never leaving his face, "I’ll keep that in mind for our next match." It only took a few moments of looking at Akashi’s vaguely offended expression before he burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking and his hands covering his face (it was a bit awkward with the chopsticks still in his hand, but Furihata could care less at that point).

"You’re really something, Akashi-san." Said Furihata once he managed to stifle his laughter, hiding his grin behind his hands.

"I could say the same about you, Furihata-kun." Akashi replied, a soft smile on his face, "You really are something else."

—-

_AFTER THE DATE_

"Is your driver waiting outside?" Furihata asked, fiddling with the edges of his shirt as he watches Akashi slip on his jacket and shoes.

"Yes, he’s by the gate," Akashi replied, turning to face Furihata, "Thank you for today. I… had fun."

"I had fun too, Akashi-san." Furihata said, smiling gently at the other boy. He stepped forward and held Akashi’s hand for what would probably be the last time for today, wishing that he had an excuse to get Akashi to stay longer.

Wait, he totally did.

"Ah, we should probably take one last photo together, shouldn’t we? We got so distracted talking that we didn’t take any other pictures…" Furihata said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. He got the camera app open and stepped in closer, holding the phone up to take the photo.

_[SNAP]_

"There we go," Furihata said, opening up the gallery to show Akashi the photo, "Now we’re all set. Do you need me to walk you out to your car?"

"No, it’s okay," Akashi said, reluctantly letting go of his hand and stepping away, "I’ll see myself out."

Akashi turned and walked towards the door. It was only when Akashi’s hand was on the doorknob that Furihata’s braincells kicked back in again and decided to do something appropriately outrageous and embarrassing.

"Ah, Akashi-san!" He called out, his voice echoing slightly in the silence. Akashi turned back towards him and tilted his head.

"Yes, Furihata-kun?" Akashi asked.

"R-remember earlier on today, when we were talking about what an ideal date would be? And you talked about concerts and restaurants and movies?" Furihata said.

Well, it was now or never.

He walked up towards Akashi and stood right in front of him.

"You also mentioned that you wanted your date to end with a goodnight kiss…" Furihata mumbled, his cheeks glowing red, "So… Can I kiss you?"

He looked down at his own feet, wringing his hands as he awaited Akashi’s reply. When no reply came, he made himself look back up at Akashi, bracing himself for the worst. Instead, he only found Akashi looking back at him, a faint pink dusting across his cheeks.

"You’re blushing!" Furihata blurted out, unable to contain his surprise. He quickly lapsed back into silence though, fidgeting slightly as he waited for Akashi to say something.

"Yes," Akashi said (at an almost inaudible level), before clearing his throat, "I mean… The answer is yes. You may kiss me."

Furihata’s eyes widened, and the heat returned to his face tenfold. He nodded at Akashi, before cradling Akashi’s face with his hands and leaning in for a chaste kiss. Akashi met him halfway, their lips pressing together for a few moments before they pulled apart.

Akashi smiled at him, before stepping away and taking Furihata’s hands into his.

"Goodnight, Furihata-kun," Akashi said, before leaning over to press a gentle kiss to the palm of his hand, "I’ll see you soon."

Furihata barely registered Akashi seeing himself out, only managing to croak out a “goodnight” in reply once the door closed behind him. He could still feel the dry press of lips against his.

Inhale. Exhale.

He pressed his lips against the palm of his hand.

Furihata was so, so gone.

—-

_POST-SCRIPT:_

Akashi looked out the window of the car, watching as the Furihata household grew smaller and smaller with every second that passed. The phone in his pocket beeped.

_From: Furihata Kouki_   
_im free next sunday :)_

Akashi smiled and typed out a reply.

_To: Furihata Kouki_   
_It’s a date._

**END.**

**Author's Note:**

> Footnotes: 
> 
> 1\. Yes, this is an au of sorts where Furihata becomes Seirin’s captain in his second year. I also really like the idea of him making friends with other captains in the school, hence the creation of like five OCs to show that during the first half.
> 
> 2\. Somewhere along the way I ended up getting really attached to the OCs, haha. I consider them to be part of Furi's friend group outside of Seirin in this fanon. 
> 
> 3\. I like to headcanon Furihata as having mild social anxiety, hence the eternally sweaty palms and trembling hands during his speech. He probably either hides his hands when having to do things like that or gestures a lot so no one notices haha (nbd throws own anxiety issues at Furihata).
> 
> 4\. The [Ashinaga Foundation](http://ashinaga.org/en/) actually exists, and provides support for orphans.
> 
> 5\. [Zauo](http://zauo.com), the restaurant Furihata’s parents go to, exists too! It’s a cool restaurant where you catch the fish you want to eat before it gets cooked and served to you.
> 
> 6\. The food Furihata cooks is pretty standard and can be cooked really easily. Hayashi rice is actually known to be a rather nostalgic dish since it's popular with children, and can bring back childhood memories for some (plus it's also really goddang good ugh could eat it forever) so I wanted to bring a bit of that feeling for Akashi. Miso soup has tofu in it, plus I personally like having a soup to accompany the main dish so I went with that instead of the yudofu that Akashi likes. 
> 
> 7\. The piece (well, pieces, technically) Akashi plays first on the piano is Bach's Goldberg Variations. Without getting too technical, it's composed of an aria and 30 variations (basically when something is repeated in a piece but in a different way each time), and it's generally a pretty technique heavy piece. Since Akashi was taught instruments like the piano and violin from young in a very strict manner, it makes sense to assume that he's been trained more on techniques than expression, so things from Bach (and the Baroque era in general, since it's very technique based) are my go-to pieces for him. Also my go-to piece headcanon for Midorima. Personally I'm not a huge fan of playing Baroque things since I'm less technique more expression but pieces like these should be a walk in the park for people like Akashi. 
> 
> 8\. The duet Akashi and Furihata do is the popular Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel, and I imagine it to be a similar version of the video linked but without the Thai xylophone and Furihata playing the acoustic guitar instead. I chose this song because it's seriously really simple to play and pretty much everyone who plays the piano learnt this song at some point, so if you had to improvise a duet it would be pretty easy to do. Also I really wanted Akashi to enjoy playing the duet with Furihata just because they were playing together, not because of how complicated or sophisticated the piece is, so I ended up choosing this song.
> 
> 9\. _"And it appears that Rakuzan’s captain can be thwarted with algae and a garnish," Furihata rebutted, the cheeky grin never leaving his face, "I’ll keep that in mind for our next match."_  
>  This is my favourite line oh my god. There's nothing else I need to say in this footnote I just really like this line.
> 
> 10\. The fic was supposed to end with only the palm kiss from Akashi. I never planned on a kiss on the lips haha, but I guess Furihata somehow managed to plant the idea in my head. 
> 
> 11\. I wanted to talk a bit about Akashi's split personality (and his relationship with his parents) in the fic but then never really found the right time to address it :/ It's just not first date conversation material. I try to hint at it every now and then, though, and I like to think that they do sit down and talk about it later on in their relationship.
> 
> 12\. EXTRA NOTE: this whole thing was basically getting two un-spontaneous characters to do very spontaneous things lmao
> 
> So there are my lengthy, extensive notes! I am such a nerd wow.


End file.
